Handy tips for successfully navigating freezing weather

With freezing weather hitting town later today, we wanted to remind you of some of the problems freezing weather typically causes in our area. Previous cold spells we’ve had this winter caused significant damage to irrigation systems and exposed pipes, as well as power outages. In addition, runoff from sprinkler systems that hadn’t been turned off caused black ice in some areas and created hazardous driving conditions.

Quick and simple safety tips

If you have to drive, be especially careful on overpasses and bridges.

Keep your pets dry and inside your home.

Walk carefully on icy surfaces.

Keep space heaters at least three feet from furniture and drapes.

Click here to read the traffic advisory issued this afternoon by the College Station Police Department. If the weather causes any road closures, power outages or other issues, we’ll do our best to post the latest updates on Facebook and Twitter. You don’t need your own social media accounts to access the information on our pages.

Electric outages

In the event of a power outage, call the CSU hotline at 855.528.4CSU (4278)and have your account number ready. If you are still able to access the internet through a mobile device, you can also check CSUs outage map for up-to-date information.

Water pipes, irrigation systems

In a December blog, Water Resource Coordinator Jennifer Nation’s offered these 10 ways to protect your water pipes and irrigation system in freezing weather:

Draingarden hoses and disconnect them from outside faucets to allow water to drain from the pipe so an overnight freeze doesn’t damage the faucet or the pipe.

If you are concerned about plants, run your irrigation system manually — just enough to water the roots and protect the plants from freezing without causing runoff.

Shut-off and drain in-ground sprinkler systems, including the backflow prevention device, then turn off the water to your sprinkler system.

Wrap or cover exposed PVC pipes and above-ground backflow preventers. Simply turning off the controller will not protect your system against freeze damage.

If you aren’t comfortable performing these steps yourself, call a licensed irrigator.

Be sure your irrigation controller is set to “OFF” and leave it there.